James W. Ely Jr. is an American historian and legal scholar who serves as the Milton R. Underwood Professor of Law Emeritus and Professor of History Emeritus at Vanderbilt University.
[1] Ely is a property rights expert, a legal historian, and an author and editor of several books that have received critical acclaim from legal scholars and historians.
He matriculated at Princeton University before earning a Bachelor of Laws at Harvard Law School, going on to earn a master's degree and PhD in history from the University of Virginia.
Annually, OCA identifies individuals who have made a substantial contribution toward advancing private property rights, presenting the Crystal Eagle Award to each as a symbol of the freedoms protected through their work.
[6] Ely received the Paul J. Hartman Outstanding Professor Award at Vanderbilt University in 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2005.